Lab-Grown Leather Could Be a Reality In 5 Years

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Lab-Grown Leather Could Be a Reality In 5 Years

Posted by timothy on Tuesday September 25, 2012 @04:41AM from the looking-forward-to-leather-sheets dept.

fangmcgee writes "Lab-grown leather apparel could hit the runways in as little as five years—all without harming a hair on a single animal's head, according to Andras Forgacs, co-founder and CEO of Modern Meadow, a Missouri-based startup that's approaching meat-and-leather production from a tissue-bioengineering, rather than farming, point of view. Backed by Breakout Labs, the grant-awarding foundation headed by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, Modern Meadow seeks to combine regenerative medicine with three-dimensional printing to synthesize leather and ultimately meat."

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Now dawns the age by Ukab+the+Great · 2012-09-25 04:42 · Score: 5, Funny

Of ethical bondage equipment.
1. Re:Now dawns the age by jythie · 2012-09-25 05:00 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Actually there are already a number of suppliers for vegan kinksters.
  
  For many it will not matter since it is all about imagery, thus the fact the leather comes from particular animals is 'important'. Others will probably be happy to have more options in alternatives.
2. Re:Now dawns the age by gstoddart · 2012-09-25 05:16 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Actually there are already a number of suppliers for vegan kinksters.
  Wow, that's the fastest I've seen rule #34 apply to a thread in a while. :-P
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
3. Re:Now dawns the age by gstoddart · 2012-09-25 05:28 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Which is suddenly making me wonder ... do vegan chicks swallow? Seems it would be an animal byproduct.
  OK, I'm a bad bad person, I know. ;-)
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
4. Re:Now dawns the age by Ironhandx · 2012-09-25 05:39 · Score: 2
  
  While I don't understand them at all, in my personal experience most vegetarian & vegan chicks swallow.
  Go forth young nerds and benefit from my words!
5. Re:Now dawns the age by smooth+wombat · 2012-09-25 05:41 · Score: 2
  
  Actually, that is a good question. If one takes the view that the eating of any product which comes from an animal as wrong, then the logical conclusion would be no, they don't swallow.
  I guess it depends on how far one goes to stand by their beliefs.
  It was like when I made the comment about Rogue. Since she can't touch anyone without draining them of their life force, what would happen if the attempt would be made to artificially impregnate her? Would her body kill the sperm (more than a woman's body does naturally) or could she become pregnant? If so, what would happen to the kid? Would, because half it is related to her, her body allow it to develop or would it drain its life force?
  Yeah, too much thinking for a fantasy story, but like yours, it does pose valid points.
  
  --
  We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
6. Re:Now dawns the age by OhSoLaMeow · 2012-09-25 05:45 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  do vegan chicks swallow?
  Only until they marry.
  
  --
  They can take my LifeAlert pendant when they pry it from my cold dead fingers.
7. Re:Now dawns the age by h4rr4r · 2012-09-25 05:49 · Score: 2
  
  They normally have no problem with that, since you are generally consenting. Animals cannot consent to be killed.
  I am not vegan nor vegetarian.
8. Re:Now dawns the age by gstoddart · 2012-09-25 05:52 · Score: 1
  
  They normally have no problem with that, since you are generally consenting. Animals cannot consent to be killed.
  That's what I was thinking -- they can pretty much know there was no cruelty involved and you can give consent.
  Though, in a lot of ways, it's very similar to milking a cow in terms of method of extraction. ;-)
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
9. Re:Now dawns the age by hairyfeet · 2012-09-25 06:38 · Score: 1
  
  My big question is....why? Why would you want this? Its not like we don't already have fake leather, and its not like people are gonna give up their burgers and meat lovers pizzas...hmmm..pizza.. so what for? The only upside i can think of is you can alter the color to make colors not of nature, but that's all we need, electric green and neon pink day glo leather outfits.../shudders/.
  
  --
  ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
10. Re:Now dawns the age by ceoyoyo · 2012-09-25 06:39 · Score: 1
  
  What if you milk a cow that is free to walk away? Or pick up eggs that are discarded by a chicken?
11. Re:Now dawns the age by Teun · 2012-09-25 06:53 · Score: 1
  
  Present fake leathers are generally of insufficient quality, real leather is a by-product of the meat industry and there is little reason to not use it except the very toxic process to cure animal skin, there's a reason most of that's done in third world countries.
  For meat there are good reasons to replace it, as world population grows we have increasing problems to feed all, meat is a very popular but inefficient animal husbandry product, when we can get a similar product using industrial tech that's a win for us all.
  Now we'd need to slaughter a lot less animals we'd get a shortage of skins to make leather so this technology is important.
  
  --
  "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
12. Re:Now dawns the age by HiThere · 2012-09-25 07:15 · Score: 2
  
  I can see you've never milked a cow or raised chickens. Though I suppose some modern breeds might just leave their eggs, it's not normal chicken behavior. Generally they secrete them in a nest that is intended to protect them. And will often come back to check on them. So they aren't consenting to your taking their eggs. If they think they can get away with it they will often even peck at you. (Lets not talk about how aggressive roosters can be.)
  Cows are milked in stalls, because if you don't they WILL walk away while you're milking them. Even then, there's "delicious" food in the manger to keep them placid.
  
  --
  
  I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
13. Re:Now dawns the age by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 07:29 · Score: 1
  
  My vegan friend swallows, as semen is willfully given.
14. Re:Now dawns the age by ceoyoyo · 2012-09-25 07:31 · Score: 1
  
  Actually, I have. Chickens don't usually leave their eggs, but it does happen, as it does with many species, occasionally. It's also quite possible to milk a cow without a stall or any sort of restraint. It does help if you put food out so they don't wander away, but giving a blood donor a muffin isn't considered a breach of their consent.
15. Re:Now dawns the age by hobarrera · 2012-09-25 08:05 · Score: 1
  
  I guess the chicken scenario is fine.
  The problem is, most chickens are raised in farms deprived of any freedom. Vegans don't quite stand against eating eggs, but rather, against raising chickens in inhuman conditions.
16. Re:Now dawns the age by hobarrera · 2012-09-25 08:10 · Score: 1
  
  Wrong, high quality leather is not a by product, animals used for high quality leather are raised and used especifically for that purpose. In cases like cows, meat is generally sold as very low quality meat, but plenty of other animals are discarted.
  There are also lots of artificial products that are better than leather too - meaning "keep you warmer, are rain-resistant, etc".
17. Re:Now dawns the age by ArsenneLupin · 2012-09-25 08:20 · Score: 1
  
  I'd say it's more similar to "milking" a bull...
18. Re:Now dawns the age by Jane+Q.+Public · 2012-09-25 08:44 · Score: 1
  
  "They normally have no problem with that, since you are generally consenting. Animals cannot consent to be killed."
  Screw leather anyway. They should put their effort into growing human skin instead.
19. Re:Now dawns the age by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 08:44 · Score: 1
  
  As a vegan male who has actually been with women (many of them vegan and feminists) they mostly don't swallow, not for ethical reason but because they deem it disgusting.
20. Re:Now dawns the age by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 09:25 · Score: 0
  
  You are not an Alpha.
21. Re:Now dawns the age by Relayman · 2012-09-25 11:14 · Score: 1
  
  [citation needed]
  
  --
  If I used a sig over again, would anyone notice?
22. Re:Now dawns the age by Teun · 2012-09-25 18:40 · Score: 1
  
  I don't understand the qualification of 'Wrong'.
  The percentage of high quality leathers you are referring to as part of all the real leathers I mentioned is minimal so my statement stands.
  Those applications where the present artificial skins are better suited have already been taken over so again, no argument.
  
  --
  "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
23. Re:Now dawns the age by Ironhandx · 2012-09-25 21:43 · Score: 1
  
  See, its once you throw that feminist crap in there that they stop doing it.
  I said nothing about feminists. I don't date them. Feminists who identify as such in this day and age are generally just plain lunatics. The "I am woman here me roar" types that fuck with shit and go on power trips for no reason other than to prove that they can.
  The feminist battle is won. In countries like Canada its already the other fucking way to where men are being discriminated against for jobs etc due to mandatory quotas that are difficult to fill simply because there are LESS qualified female candidates. Women are still the nurturing, child-bearing care-givers and will continue to be so due to biology. As such the pool of women who choose not to work or choose to work part-time(thus preventing them from filling many important roles) is rather large.
24. Re:Now dawns the age by riT-k0MA · 2012-09-25 23:28 · Score: 1
  
  Cloned human skin? Like this?
25. Re:Now dawns the age by HiThere · 2012-09-26 03:02 · Score: 1
  
  No, but in my experience cows will wander even with food available, if they aren't in a stall. (Granted, they don't object to sticking their head in where they can get the food.)
  For that matter, some cows will kick the pail, but I've never been certain whether this was that they didn't want you to milk them (even though they clearly did), clumsiness, or a weird sense of humor. Or maybe they just feel tickled.
  N.B.: I can clearly see an argument that can be made in many circumstances that the cows are agreeing to a deal that lets you milk them in exchange for food (and the relief of internal pressure). I think it's often true. But then don't fences count as a form of coercion?
  OTOH, now that I think on it, I have seen eggs under the chicken roost, so you gain that point. But again, don't fences count as a form of coercion? (I know that they're to keep out skunks, foxes, etc., but the chickens clearly don't agree to them...except when they do.)
  Claiming a volitional agreement with an animal that can't speak and has a short attention span is always going to be problematic. I can see your point if the chickens were unconfined...but in that case there better not be much traffic, and no "varmints" (which includes ill-mannered dogs as much as foxes and weasels).
  
  --
  
  I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
also in principle interesting for skingrafts. by queazocotal · 2012-09-25 04:44 · Score: 1

Not to mention the cosmetic industry.
1. Re:also in principle interesting for skingrafts. by vlm · 2012-09-25 04:58 · Score: 2
  
  How about a cosmetic skingraft industry to leatherize your skin? I can hear the tv commercials now "You could spend a decade suntanning to achieve the trendy new leatherskin(tm) look but now after a simple operation at your doctors office...". You could pick your leatherized skin color, maybe even fake alligator...
  Never underestimate the ability of young people to spend large amounts of money to do stupid things in the name of "rebellion". This could be the next "tattoo" or the next "piercing". We're getting close to the point where the early adopters of those fads have kids who need to rebel against them... Leatherskin could be the answer.... Hmm you could look like a Dune stillsuit when you're naked or motorcycle leathers... this could work and make a lot of money for people who invest early...
  
  --
  "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
2. Re:also in principle interesting for skingrafts. by Razgorov+Prikazka · 2012-09-25 05:24 · Score: 1
  
  Or the film-industry...
  I for one welcome our now completely boneless overlords, without an ethical question whatsoever!
  
  Actually I bought the one used in the matrix! It is a big clunker of a pod of some kind, and in there there is a guy called Zjeeanoo Reevez making my meter spin the wrong way round (the good one for me that is) and ever now and then he grows a nice leather jacket for me! And sunglasses in the summer as well!
  
  --
  rm -rf --no-preserve-root / ...and let /dev/null sort them out...
3. Re:also in principle interesting for skingrafts. by ackthpt · 2012-09-25 05:30 · Score: 2
  
  Not to mention the cosmetic industry.
  And auto industry - Rich Corinthian Leather* could actually be grown in labs in Corinth!
  Tip o' the propeller beanie to Ricardo Montalban
  It'll also save the hides of thousands of Naugas annually!
  
  --
  
  A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
4. Re:also in principle interesting for skingrafts. by fast+turtle · 2012-09-25 10:30 · Score: 1
  
  But Naga's are only good for their hides anyway. Otherwise, they're always trying to kill people and eat our crops or steal our stuff.
  
  --
  Mod me up/Mod me down: I wont frown as I've no crown
5. Re:also in principle interesting for skingrafts. by gmhowell · 2012-09-25 16:06 · Score: 1
  
  How about a cosmetic skingraft industry to leatherize your skin?
  Seemed to do wonders for George Hamilton.
  
  --
  Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
And much more expensive than real or fake by crazyjj · 2012-09-25 04:46 · Score: 4, Insightful

If you have a moral objection to real leather, buy fake.
If you don't have any moral objection, buy real.
Or, if you don't like leather, buy neither.
Any one of these three options will be a LOT cheaper than anything grown in a lab. And I seriously doubt this will ever be able to scale.

--
What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
1. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by ZeroSumHappiness · 2012-09-25 04:54 · Score: 2
  
  But what if you have a moral objection to killing an animal for leather but prefer bio-engineered leather to any of the synthetic replacements and are willing to pay the premium for bio-engineered? Then this is perfect for you...
2. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Creepy · 2012-09-25 04:55 · Score: 2
  
  Like anything, in the short term it will be more expensive. In the long term, we get replicators. This sort of thing would really be good for my old vegan roommate, who every once in a while had to have bacon, but otherwise was faithful to being a vegan. If the bacon was printed, and no matter what the price, I know she'd definitely feel morally better if it weren't from a dead animal.
3. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by jythie · 2012-09-25 05:01 · Score: 1
  
  Hard to say how well it will scale, but other types of manufacturing have. Farming has a lot of waste, a lot of inefficiency... depending on how the details work out, producing just the parts you want for an application might, long term, pan out pretty well.
4. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by DigiShaman · 2012-09-25 05:02 · Score: 2
  
  If it's going to be expensive, might as well grow it with an artificial pattern such as houndstooth.
  
  --
  Life is not for the lazy.
5. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 05:04 · Score: 0, Troll
  
  This sort of thing would really be good for my old vegan roommate, who every once in a while had to have bacon
  What a hypocrite. I don't subscribe to Veganism, but it's based on the ethical stance that it's wrong to exploit animals.
  So if you think meat is murder, milk is rape etc. then "once in a while he had to have bacon" is like saying "once in a while he had to murder/rape someone" or maybe "once in a while he had to own a slave."
6. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 05:05 · Score: 0
  
  Would loose your vegan's superpowers if you consumed 3 BLTs with printed bacon?
7. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 05:07 · Score: 0
  
  How could she stand the possibility of being caught by the vegan police and losing her vegan superpowers?
8. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by s0nicfreak · 2012-09-25 05:10 · Score: 2
  
  Someone that has a moral objection to real leather but wants the qualities of real leather might use this. From a purely fashion standpoint, yes this seems silly; fake leather looks like real leather. But from a practical use standpoint, this will be great for people that are morally opposed to real leather; fake leather is usually not heat-resistant, rip-proof, etc. etc. - basically it has none of the qualities of leather except looking similar. As someone that is vegetarian largely for moral reasons, that also makes many things by hand, lab-grown leather would be very handy to me.
9. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by gstoddart · 2012-09-25 05:19 · Score: 1
  
  But what if you have a moral objection to killing an animal for leather but prefer bio-engineered leather to any of the synthetic replacements and are willing to pay the premium for bio-engineered? Then this is perfect for you...
  I'm betting anybody who is staying away from leather for ethical reasons is going to look at the idea of tank-grown leather and still be thinking "that still sounds nasty".
  Then again, maybe a whole bunch of vegans are just waiting for tank-grown leather and there's a market for it.
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
10. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Hentes · 2012-09-25 05:20 · Score: 1
  
  Leather is pretty much just a biproduct of the meat industry, the are no animals grown for their hide. Fur is a different thing, but they couldn't grow that.
11. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Tarlus · 2012-09-25 05:22 · Score: 2
  
  my old vegan roommate, who every once in a while had to have bacon, but otherwise was faithful to being a vegan
  My ex wife would do the same thing. Declared herself a vegetarian but was still a closet meat-eater from time to time when nobody was watching. Had to break the news to her that she was in fact not a vegetarian.
  
  --
  /* No Comment */
12. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by ZeroSumHappiness · 2012-09-25 05:23 · Score: 1
  
  s/for leather/for leather and meat/
  Happy?
13. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by ZeroSumHappiness · 2012-09-25 05:24 · Score: 2
  
  I have plenty of friends who love meat but only eat meat that was hunted, not farmed who would prefer grown leather.
14. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Talderas · 2012-09-25 05:25 · Score: 1
  
  It would be interesting if they could do vat grown fur.
  I could see the headlines now.
  "PETA dumps animal blood on owner for wearing synthetic fur coat."
  
  --
  "Lack of speed can be overcome. In the worst case by patience." --Znork
15. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by bigtrike · 2012-09-25 05:29 · Score: 1
  
  Maybe, but it's easy to tighten a loose superpower.
16. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by LordZardoz · 2012-09-25 05:34 · Score: 1
  
  You may be long about real leather being a lot cheaper than bio engineered leather.
  Granted, you have doubts about this being able to scale up. But lets assume for a moment you are wrong.
  The inputs to the process are going to be somewhat similar to the inputs required to raise a cow. But the quantity of those inputs should be much lower. You only need enough food / nutrients to grow the skin. You do not need to support the rest of the mass of the cow. The waste (urine, feces) would also be lower. No bones or brains, and the support features of the rest of the cow (the lungs / spleen / kidney's) can probably be accomplished by machine filters.
  I am not sure if the vat grown meat would work as well though. You would need to support much more biomass and your probably not going to be able to simulate a massive rib steak.
  END COMMUNICATION
17. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Hentes · 2012-09-25 05:35 · Score: 1
  
  My point was, those animals would die regardless if we use their leather or not. This is like saying that forest are being cut down for paper.
18. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 05:36 · Score: 0
  
  Maybe, but it's easy to tighten a loose superpower.
  Just use a screwdriver with plenty of vodka.
19. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by HornWumpus · 2012-09-25 05:43 · Score: 1
  
  What if her superpower was 'vaginal clench'? In other words she's literally sitting on a diamond factory.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
20. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 05:44 · Score: 0
  
  While I don't know the person who the GP posted of, I can tell you that there are many different beliefs that can can appear to work the same way. Don't assume that a particular pattern of behavior indicates a particular belief system. Don't assume that a simplistic explanation of behavior is complete or correct; the person may be simplifying for the sake of convenience, yours and theirs. (The alternative is to explain their beliefs and how they fit into the context of morality, biology, agriculture, aquaculture, food safety, and politics. Nobody wants to hear about feces being spilled on beef when deciding where to go for dinner.)
  In my case, I'm very concerned about overfishing and the impacts of some forms of aquaculture. I tell most people that I don't eat fish because it's the easiest way to explain why I don't want to go to a seafood restaurant. However, I do have a fair bit of catfish and a small amount of land-raised salmon and trout. When I get a house, I'm looking to raise tillapia as part of a greenhouse filtration/fertilization system. (As a side note, there are very few places that serve catfish in my town and none that I know of that specifically serve land-raised fish.)
  A comparison of what I say and what I do would suggest hypocrisy. A comparison of what I believe and what I do does, in my opinion, not. The discrepancy between speech and belief is the result of social sensitivity.
21. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by HornWumpus · 2012-09-25 05:45 · Score: 0
  
  I've never met a herbivore (of any type) or Jew that didn't eat bacon.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
22. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2012-09-25 05:45 · Score: 1
  
  Fully functional skin(ie. with follicles and everything) is a much higher bar to clear than more primitive 'thin-layer-of-epidermal-cells' type stuff that they've been using as burn dressings for years now; but if animals can grow fur, there isn't any obvious objection to a sufficiently advanced tissue-culture process being able to grow skin with fur on it(potentially even in sizes/patterns/textures that aren't available in nature).
23. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Grishnakh · 2012-09-25 05:46 · Score: 2
  
  Exactly. There are precisely zero cows killed for their skin; they're killed for their meat. The only way lab-grown leather would make any sense is if they simultaneously introduce lab-grown beef. As long as cows are killed for their meat, there's going to be piles of left-over cow skin. If you don't use it for leather, it's just going to go to waste.
24. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by HornWumpus · 2012-09-25 05:47 · Score: 1
  
  I've had to scrub a few of the victory marks off my grill when I found out that I hadn't turned them from the dark side. They were meat eaters all along.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
25. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by gstoddart · 2012-09-25 05:48 · Score: 1
  
  I have plenty of friends who love meat but only eat meat that was hunted, not farmed who would prefer grown leather.
  For me it's the 'ick' factor -- a coat made of pink slime is a mental hurdle I'm not so sure of. :-P
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
26. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by HornWumpus · 2012-09-25 05:48 · Score: 2
  
  Or grow a coat/seat cover without seams.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
27. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by smooth+wombat · 2012-09-25 05:49 · Score: 1
  
  and there's a market for it.
  
  Sort of like glow-in-the-dark fish as nightlights or glow-in-the-dark tampons?
  
  --
  We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
28. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by OhSoLaMeow · 2012-09-25 05:50 · Score: 1
  
  Fur is a different thing, but they couldn't grow that.
  You've never looked inside my refrigerator, have you?
  
  --
  They can take my LifeAlert pendant when they pry it from my cold dead fingers.
29. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by h4rr4r · 2012-09-25 05:51 · Score: 1
  
  Beyondmeant is working on that problem right now, by making a replacement. Others are working on growing it in a vat.
  Either way exciting times.
30. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 05:52 · Score: 0
  
  Yes please! Grow me a new car seat cover with no seams to split.
31. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2012-09-25 05:55 · Score: 2
  
  Depending on the production process, there might also be engineering advantages:
  Real leather is constrained by the shape and properties of the animal you removed it from. Unless your intended use case is eerily cow shaped, this usually means a bunch of cutting and sewing or other joining needs to happen. If the synthesized stuff is handled by some 'print collagen matrix, seed with cells, immerse in nutrient fluid' type process, you could theoretically produce pieces that are seamless and correctly shaped(possibly even with neat extras like variable thickness/stiffness depending on the mechanical durability required in different areas of the piece) without any cuts or stitches.
  Cutting and sewing are relatively cheap, so you wouldn't do that just for the cost savings; but seams can be points of weakness in more demanding designs.
32. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by wierd_w · 2012-09-25 05:56 · Score: 1
  
  Since this is for LEATHER, and not for food or medical use, I could easily see this scaling to a very large scale.
  Think of it in these terms:
  You take a skin sample from a cow.
  You chemically alter the living cells, so that they become "HeLa-Like" basal cell carcinoma.
  Puree, add to vegetable based growth medium, heat gently, and stir continuously.
  Inject the cell "paste" into an injection mold, pretreated with some additional synthetic hormones.
  Wait 7 days
  Decant, steam, cut, and tan.
33. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by erice · 2012-09-25 05:59 · Score: 1
  
  But what if you have a moral objection to killing an animal for leather but prefer bio-engineered leather to any of the synthetic replacements and are willing to pay the premium for bio-engineered? Then this is perfect for you...
  I'm betting anybody who is staying away from leather for ethical reasons is going to look at the idea of tank-grown leather and still be thinking "that still sounds nasty".
  Then again, maybe a whole bunch of vegans are just waiting for tank-grown leather and there's a market for it.
  There are an awful lot of Hindus whose objection to cow-hide has little to do with Western "organic/save the whales" ethics.
34. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by RicktheBrick · 2012-09-25 06:25 · Score: 2
  
  I do not like to eat meat. If I am at a party I will try my best to determine if the dish has meat in it and if I can see meat, I will not eat it but if I do not see meat and take the dish I will not throw it away. I see no purpose to that. It is the same with leather. I do believe that leather is the only reason someone kills a cow as the main reason is the meat. For me the question is do I think their skin should go to waste rather than me using it? I have trouble with that since they will make money by making leather so it will reduce the price of the meat. So by buying the leather I am making it easier for people to purchase meat and therefore I would be encouraging the killing of cows. But than I ask who is more humane because if no one ate cow meat than there would be a lot less cows in existence. So by not eating meat I would be encouraging a lot of cows not ever existing. The same thing can be said about humans, Is it better to not exist at all than it is to exist for a short time? There are other reason why I do not eat meat since it takes a lot more energy and resources to produce the meat than to produce the corn of other vegetables, it makes sense to me not to eat the meat so that those resources could be used to feed starving people on this planet.
35. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by gstoddart · 2012-09-25 06:28 · Score: 1
  
  Sort of like glow-in-the-dark fish as nightlights or glow-in-the-dark tampons?
  I've seen examples of the former ... I'm terrified to ask google if the latter is real or not.
  And, how would you know it works? ;-)
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
36. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 06:39 · Score: 0
  
  I would buy more expensive, lab grown meat. I would also eat more of it, health concerns be damned. Captcha: delicacy. I'm not so sure....
37. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Conspiracy_Of_Doves · 2012-09-25 06:54 · Score: 2
  
  I don't have a moral objection to leather. I have a financial objection to it. That shit is expensive.
  Plus, the size of the animal limits how big a solid, unstiched sheet of it can be. I am all for in-vitro leather if it can bring the price down and give us larger pieces.
  
  --
  
  Technoli
38. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Conspiracy_Of_Doves · 2012-09-25 06:55 · Score: 1
  
  I didn't read crazyjj's entire post before responding, but let me say that the price WILL eventually come down and be cheaper than natural leather.
  
  --
  
  Technoli
39. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 07:02 · Score: 0
  
  I can tell you that there are many different beliefs that can can appear to work the same way. Don't assume that a particular pattern of behavior indicates a particular belief system. Don't assume that a simplistic explanation of behavior is complete or correct; the person may be simplifying for the sake of convenience, yours and theirs.
  I'm just going by the definition of "Vegan" - it's not negotiable according to the animal rights zealots. If you eat bacon, you are not a Vegan, period.
40. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by MrLizardo · 2012-09-25 08:23 · Score: 1
  
  I'm a vegetarian (for ethical reasons) who doesn't buy leather or other products that come from killing an animal. I am totally *thrilled* with the concept of lab-grown leather and meat and I'm hugely looking forward to it. I think I'd be willing to pay a certain premium, especially as a once-in-a-while thing.
  
  --
  ^I'm with stupid.^
41. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by RabidReindeer · 2012-09-25 08:56 · Score: 1
  
  Exactly. There are precisely zero cows killed for their skin; they're killed for their meat. The only way lab-grown leather would make any sense is if they simultaneously introduce lab-grown beef. As long as cows are killed for their meat, there's going to be piles of left-over cow skin. If you don't use it for leather, it's just going to go to waste.
  I wouldn't count on that.
  What I heard was that the leather for Rolls-Royce automobiles came from cows who were farmed in pastures surrounded by electric fences (barbed wire would scar the leather).
  It would obviously be wasteful to discard the meat, but the primary objective was high-grade blemish-free leather, and therefore the primary reason for killing them would be so that some 1-percenter could park his/her butt on it.
42. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Grishnakh · 2012-09-25 09:12 · Score: 1
  
  Maybe, but I'm doubtful. Go to any nice leather store and look around; when was the last time you saw barbed-wire scars on a leather jacket? I don't think I've ever seen such a thing, and I've been wearing leather jackets for a very long time. Surely they separate pieces of the leather by grade (i.e., any scarred parts get lower grades), and sell the higher-grade stuff for more money, so RR would just have to pay the premium price for the top-grade leather, right?
43. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Neil+Boekend · 2012-09-25 23:43 · Score: 1
  
  I haven't come across fake leather that's as durable as real leather. Most fake leather wears down in about 1/20th of the time real leather does.
  Real leather breathes a bit but keeps most of the water out, which is useful in shoes.
  
  --
  Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
44. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Neil+Boekend · 2012-09-25 23:58 · Score: 1
  
  Real leather isn't expensive. It's just an investment. Real leather is so much more durable that it covers the price difference.
  Off course that only counts if you don't get the expensive leather. "Cheap" real leather is as durable as expensive real leather, but can have some scars on it. These don't matter for the durability but they don't look as good.
  
  --
  Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
45. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by RabidReindeer · 2012-09-26 00:58 · Score: 1
  
  Maybe, but I'm doubtful. Go to any nice leather store and look around; when was the last time you saw barbed-wire scars on a leather jacket? I don't think I've ever seen such a thing, and I've been wearing leather jackets for a very long time. Surely they separate pieces of the leather by grade (i.e., any scarred parts get lower grades), and sell the higher-grade stuff for more money, so RR would just have to pay the premium price for the top-grade leather, right?
  Dang it, I hate it when I have to actually look stuff up!
  Apparently, prior to purchase by BMW, Rolls-Royce got all their leather from an Irish bespoke leather company named Connolly. It looks like newer models get their leather from Bavaria:
  And:
  
  Each Phantom has 400 pieces of leather in it for the upholstery and trim using 17 to 18 hides per car. The leather comes from German Bavarian bulls, as they are larger, or sometimes from other bulls reared in Argentina or South Africa. A little known fact is that Rolls-Royce leather craftsmen only use bull hide, hide from cows they consider is of no use because it contains stretch marks!
  Off-the-rack leather is obviously not good enough for our Masters.
46. Re:And much more expensive than real or fake by Grishnakh · 2012-09-26 03:46 · Score: 1
  
  Stretch marks??? Maybe I just don't know leather that well or haven't noticed them on my leather jackets and furniture. Weird.
if you need me, I'll be in my Lab by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 04:47 · Score: 1

DOG MEAT IS MURDER!
Headline-Generating Verbage by AttillaTheNun · 2012-09-25 04:49 · Score: 4, Insightful

I could discover sustainable cold fusion in as little as 5 years. Of course, there is always the chance it may take me longer, or forever.
1. Re:Headline-Generating Verbage by tnk1 · 2012-09-25 05:12 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  I could discover sustainable cold fusion in as little as 5 years. Of course, there is always the chance it may take me longer, or forever.
  I already have discovered it. It works perfectly and solves all the energy issues we might have for a few hundred years of constant growth.
  The only obstacle that is in front of me is just finding the right lobbyist to help get a repeal for certain regressive laws of nature currently on the books.
2. Re:Headline-Generating Verbage by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 06:10 · Score: 0
  
  Actually I doubt you could......
3. Re:Headline-Generating Verbage by tsa · 2012-09-25 06:47 · Score: 1
  
  Exactly. In the 1970s we would have flat TV screens within 10 years. In the 1980s we would have the picture phone real soon now. In the 1990s Linux on the desktop would be next year.
  When will people please stop these rubbish predictions?
  
  --
  -- Cheers!
4. Re:Headline-Generating Verbage by publiclurker · 2012-09-25 08:17 · Score: 1
  
  "When will people please stop these rubbish predictions?" I predict within 5 years.
Even better by phantomfive · 2012-09-25 04:49 · Score: 3, Interesting

Leather is fine, but this could lead to new synthetic materials that improve on leather.

--
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
1. Re:Even better by Tarlus · 2012-09-25 05:23 · Score: 1
  
  Or even just leather without physical imperfections, creases, etc.
  
  --
  /* No Comment */
2. Re:Even better by Dogtanian · 2012-09-25 06:45 · Score: 2
  
  Or even just leather without physical imperfections, creases, etc.
  Want to bet that if this lab-grown leather becomes successful, many people will latch on to those "imperfections" as a sign of "real" leather and it'll become more desirable?
  
  --
  "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
3. Re:Even better by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 08:30 · Score: 0
  
  Or even just leather without physical imperfections, creases, etc.
  We have this over here in europe - we call it "not using barbed wire" ;)
4. Re:Even better by Tarlus · 2012-09-26 10:39 · Score: 1
  
  Wouldn't surprise me. Then the labs will artificially crease it to make it look real.
  Makes me think of the die-hards who still prefer the familiar crack-and-pop of vinyl records over digital audio.
  
  --
  /* No Comment */
Leather is a wonderful material. by jellomizer · 2012-09-25 04:50 · Score: 3, Insightful

Leather as a material is actually very interesting.
Light, Flexible, Sturdy, Tough, and a great insulator.
Still there isn't a replacement for it in a lot of protective gear. Such as Motorcycle jackets, they are not to make you look bad-ass but if you fall off your bike as an armor so you don't scrape yourself all up. Metal and Plastic is too ridgid, or too flimsy. Leather has the perfect use.
However I don't see much of a market for artificial leather, only because we are still eating cows. Most farms don't produce leather only cattle, but beef cattle what use the hides for leather.
Now if this technology makes affordable meat like it thinks it could, then perhaps artifical leather can come in.

--
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
1. Re:Leather is a wonderful material. by ZeroSumHappiness · 2012-09-25 04:56 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  There are plenty of synthetic replacements for motorcycle leather at much the same price, mostly in the kevlar family, approximately.
2. Re:Leather is a wonderful material. by WillAdams · 2012-09-25 05:08 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Leather is constrained in size by how large a cow will grow, in thickness by the thickest point available for a given area (if you want to work really large, you can't get hides as thick as if you're willing to work smaller) and in quality by how pampered the creature was in its life (Rolls Royce uses cows raised in special pastures w/ wooden fencing (no barbed wire) and the hides which they reject would be top quality elsewhere).
  Also, presumably this material won't require the tanning process, so one will get material equivalent to vegetable tanned w/o the nasty chemicals of chrome tanned.
  Moreover, even though leather can be considered a by-product of the meat industry, it's not cheap --- a full hide is well over $100.
  William
  
  --
  Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.
3. Re:Leather is a wonderful material. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 05:17 · Score: 0
  
  However I don't see much of a market for artificial leather, only because we are still eating cows. Most farms don't produce leather only cattle, but beef cattle what use the hides for leather.
  Being able to sell the leather, even for beef cattle, means more potential income for a cow. This allows you to sell the beef cheaper to try to out compete other beef and meat producers, while still making a profit. So in the end, even if the cows are used for beef, the sale of leather can reduce the price of beef. This could increase the demand for beef, especially relative to other meats.
4. Re:Leather is a wonderful material. by gstoddart · 2012-09-25 05:24 · Score: 1
  
  Still there isn't a replacement for it in a lot of protective gear. Such as Motorcycle jackets
  Well, except for maybe ballistic nylon (Cordura), plastic, and kevlar. Think Joe Rocket.
  I see a lot of gear now using those things, and they've been around quite a while.
  That doesn't invalidate your argument entirely, but for motorcycle jackets I know for a fact that you can get a good replacement for leather.
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
5. Re:Leather is a wonderful material. by srmalloy · 2012-09-25 06:06 · Score: 1
  
  Also, presumably this material won't require the tanning process, so one will get material equivalent to vegetable tanned w/o the nasty chemicals of chrome tanned.
  If you don't tan it, what you have is rawhide, not leather; tanning preserves the flexibility, softness, and stretchability of the material. It wouldn't be necessary to unhair the material, and since you'd be able to control what layers of the skin are grown, you would reduce or eliminate the need for fleshing it, and could control the fiber growth to reduce or eliminate the need for liming it, but you'd still have the tanning process itself, whether vegetable or mineral.
6. Re:Leather is a wonderful material. by mikestew · 2012-09-25 06:08 · Score: 1
  
  The difference being that leather can take a few slides down the pavement and still be usable. Synthetics are often a one-shot deal. A horrifically bad session of pavement surfing can put a hole through synthetics when quality leather will still have some thickness left. In either case, you probably walk away with your skin intact. If replacing a $700 First Gear jacket the first time it goes down saves you a skin graft, money well spent.
  That said, I like my Aerostich just fine, I just wouldn't wear it for a session of track racing.
7. Re:Leather is a wonderful material. by gstoddart · 2012-09-25 06:18 · Score: 1
  
  The difference being that leather can take a few slides down the pavement and still be usable. Synthetics are often a one-shot deal.
  Really? I haven't ridden in years, so I don't know ... but I'd thought Cordura had abrasion resistance which was far in excess of almost anything natural.
  
  That said, I like my Aerostich just fine, I just wouldn't wear it for a session of track racing.
  Judging by the number of people I know who used to duct-tape knee-pads to their leathers because they'd worn though in the corners, and having seen someone do a nice long slide which more or less trashed their leathers ... it seems you're going to do a heck of a lot of damage to either if you do that much.
  I'm pretty sure for most people they try to avoid pavement surfing, and the safety gear is a contingency, not a recurring theme.
  I know very few motorcyclists who would want to slide like that any more than strictly 'necessary'.
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
8. Re:Leather is a wonderful material. by Pope · 2012-09-25 06:45 · Score: 1
  
  Really? I haven't ridden in years, so I don't know ... but I'd thought Cordura had abrasion resistance which was far in excess of almost anything natural.
  Nope, leather's still the best from an abrasion perspective. But all in all, it's the gear you actually wear rather than the stuff left in the closet that'll protect the best :)
  
  --
  It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
9. Re:Leather is a wonderful material. by gstoddart · 2012-09-25 07:15 · Score: 1
  
  Nope, leather's still the best from an abrasion perspective. But all in all, it's the gear you actually wear rather than the stuff left in the closet that'll protect the best :)
  Oh, so very true.
  I remember years ago when my brother raced and my father was on his 4th bike or so ... saw a guy driving down the road in cut off jeans, sneakers, and a helmet.
  I just remember thinking how badly mangled he'd be if he ever wiped out. I'd take being too warm over skin grafts any day.
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
10. Re:Leather is a wonderful material. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 07:21 · Score: 0
  
  Cordura and Kevlar just don't have as much abrasion resistance as leather for the same mass and volume. There's a reason why every MotoGP rider is in a leather suit. If they could drop an ounce of weight and retain the same protection by switching to a different material, they'd do it.
11. Re:Leather is a wonderful material. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 07:27 · Score: 0
  
  Leather is also a great for dealing with thermal hazards - welding gear and such. I came to believe that some welders appreciate the work as it lets them live in the kink.
12. Re:Leather is a wonderful material. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 08:04 · Score: 0
  
  but I'd thought Cordura had abrasion resistance which was far in excess of almost anything natural
  A slide ride down the asphalt will grind a hole thru it as quickly as a pneumatic die grinder.
  Ask me how I know :-(
  Good old fashioned leather is still king for protection against the pepperoni pizza road rash, but nothing really helps prevent the bruises except perhaps not falling off the bike in the first place ;-)
Frederik Pohl's Space Merchants by inputdev · 2012-09-25 04:52 · Score: 2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Space_Merchants
I can't read about synthetic animal parts without thinking about the enormous mass of chicken, referred to as "Chicken Little" that is used in the book as a source of protein by continually slicing off hunks from the always growing mass of chicken heart cells. :)
1. Re:Frederik Pohl's Space Merchants by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 06:28 · Score: 0
  
  One of my favorites too. Heinlein as well in Methuselah's Children, although not as amusing a context.
2. Re:Frederik Pohl's Space Merchants by durgledoggy · 2012-09-25 06:33 · Score: 1
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_(Torchwood)
  Inspiration for this not-that-bad-at-all Torchwood episode.
Vegan? by Frosty+Piss · 2012-09-25 04:52 · Score: 1

So... Would this be Vegan?

--
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
1. Re:Vegan? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 05:07 · Score: 0
  
  Honestly? You'd be surprised at how many people would still moan and cry at this. Most of them are just doing that crap because they think they are holier and more refined than others. It is quite sad.
  Luckily not all vegans and veggies are morons and would happily use and consume these things given the base materials aren't from the death of something else.
  Although in saying that, if they really want to be pedantic about it, technically eating those plants is them murdering some millions of helpless animals as the nutrients from them most likely entered the plant at some point in time. Luckily, not all people are that anal either.
2. Re:Vegan? by Belial6 · 2012-09-25 05:36 · Score: 1
  
  It would be from the death of something else. They are suggesting growing it. As in it is alive, and then gets killed to make the leather. Your comment points out one of the great hypocrisies of the 'moral' vegan. They claim that killing is bad, but happily do it if the life is different enough from them that they can rationalize that it 'doesn't count'.
We shall create PETBL by mromanuk · 2012-09-25 04:53 · Score: 2

People for the Ethical Treatment of Bioengineered Leather (PETBL) Because the bioengineered leather has rights too...

--
Martin - Dattabank
1. Re:We shall create PETBL by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 05:38 · Score: 0
  
  People for the Ethical Treatment of Bioengineered Leather (PETBL) Because the bioengineered leather has rights too...
  But those guys over at the North Americal Man / Bioengineered-Leather Love Association (NAMBLLA) are just freaks.
2. Re:We shall create PETBL by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 05:48 · Score: 0
  
  I know you kid. However, it's important to note that PETA has been pushing for vat grown meat for some time now. I believe they would similarly support vat grown leather.
And what will happen ... by Zemran · 2012-09-25 04:55 · Score: 2

... to the skins of all those cows we eat? The beef industry is not going to stop killing the cows, but now they will have to throw away the skins rather than turn them into leather. We will have to pay more for our beef, pork etc. to cover this cost and then pay for the fake leather as well...

--
I love stacking my barbecues in the shed at the end of summer - you can't beat a bit of grill on grill action.
1. Re:And what will happen ... by Creepy · 2012-09-25 05:02 · Score: 1
  
  Did you RTFA or even the headline? Their goal is to ultimately make meat, and leather is just a step to getting there.
2. Re:And what will happen ... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 05:02 · Score: 0
  
  Just think of it as one step toward outlawing cows.
3. Re:And what will happen ... by jythie · 2012-09-25 05:04 · Score: 1
  
  There are plenty of people who do not want any of their money going to the cattle industry.
4. Re:And what will happen ... by Verdatum · 2012-09-25 05:04 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  The same fears happened when vinyl pleather first came out. The same fears happened when man-made diamonds became feasible. The market adjusts. The skins still get sold, and the price of the original commodity usually doesn't drop as much as people fear.
5. Re:And what will happen ... by jcaplan · 2012-09-25 05:23 · Score: 1
  
  You're assuming fixed demand for leather products and meat, independent of price. If there is additional supply leather from bio-reactor production, the price of leather is likely to decline until it reaches a point where all leather produced is purchased. Econ 101. You may indeed end up paying more for meat because some people buy bio-engineered leather rather than the traditional variety. This price increase is likely to decrease meat consumption, so the beef industry will kill fewer cows.
6. Re:And what will happen ... by Garridan · 2012-09-25 05:30 · Score: 1
  
  What about dung, blood, gelatin, casein, bone meal, rennet, cysteine, tallow, and countless other cow byproducts? Like the storied native americans with the buffalo, we really make use of 100% of the cow. Hundreds if not thousands of products directly use cow byproducts, and artificial production of meat is likely to include nasty organic chemicals that are extremely harmful to the environment if spilled / released in significant quantities... without all of the useful byproducts.
  
  What we should really be doing is breeding cows without heads. People should realize that the living bodies we see are simply the highest form of technology we have ever witnessed. Artificial replication of this stuff is just ridiculous. I dismiss veganism largely because of my holistic view of the world economy -- plastic replacements for these things are more destructive to the environment, we need animal-derived nutrients to live, and vat-grown meat is going to involve some seriously scary shit.
7. Re:And what will happen ... by CannonballHead · 2012-09-25 06:11 · Score: 1
  
  man-made diamonds became feasible
  Well, that's because the chunk of rock doesn't mean as much if it's not unnaturally expensively priced, obviously.
8. Re:And what will happen ... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 06:24 · Score: 0
  
  And what will happen to buggy manufacturers what with this new-fangled 'Model T'?
  Suck it up, princess. That's what will happen.
Misses the point by pubwvj · 2012-09-25 04:56 · Score: 1

CAFO's
Processed Foods
Fake Meat
Lots of added cancer and disease causing chemicals.
Missing out on the important natural micronutrients.
Yuck.
Give me real meat.
Leather comes from harvesting meat. It's a way to use the rest of the animals.
If you object to eating meat for ethical reasons then stop eating plants you Kingdomist. Plants have feelings too!
1. Re:Misses the point by dkleinsc · 2012-09-25 05:05 · Score: 2
  
  After all, as the Arrogant Worms pointed out, Carrot Juice is Murder.
  
  --
  I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
2. Re:Misses the point by cellocgw · 2012-09-25 05:12 · Score: 2
  
  Uh, really? Since most micronutrients are elements or minerals, perhaps you could explain what an artificial version is. Vitamins, the only other class of micronutrients, are easily added to lab-grown biologicals.
  I didn't see anything in TFA about adding teratogenics to the mix. On the contrary, it's the four-legged "real cow" version which is chock full of antibiotics and feed additives.
  
  --
  https://app.box.com/WitthoftResume Code: https://github.com/cellocgw
3. Re:Misses the point by geekoid · 2012-09-25 05:35 · Score: 1
  
  Lots of strawmen there, presumably form your ignorance.
  But hey, lt's not lets science, data and facts inform you. You would have to spend all the fort throwing around more fallacious argument, cause you certainly wouldn't think about it.
  Of course, the fact that it interferes with your lively has no bearing on your opinion, I'm sure~
  
  --
  The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
4. Re:Misses the point by geekoid · 2012-09-25 05:39 · Score: 1
  
  " it's the four-legged "real cow" version which is chock full of antibiotics and feed additives."
  a) Depnds
  B) You probably should take some time to understand the antibiotic issue before spouting off. There is no evidence that current use of antibiotic in animals has any effect on the consumer at all. HINT: it's used upp or peed out. Why do people think antibiotics are some magic creature that survives forever?
  
  --
  The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
XKCD explains this by Scareduck · 2012-09-25 05:03 · Score: 2

So, the business part is the only thing missing here.

--
Dog is my co-pilot.
Synthetic Meat by JStyle · 2012-09-25 05:15 · Score: 1

If we are going to make synthetic meat, let's make it unique and supremely delicious. I see no reason to work towards duplicating existing, readily available meats. Let's spend that lab money on meat so exotic and tasty it could have only come from a lab.
1. Re:Synthetic Meat by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2012-09-25 06:12 · Score: 1
  
  It sounds like a golden opportunity to mass-marketing of tissues from endangered species, to me!
  With just a teeny, minimally invasive, sampling step, exotic meats from wildly endangered organisms could be produced in massive vats. Delicious panda burgers! Seal Veal! You could also grow tissues that don't exist in nature, such as racks of crab ribs!
2. Re:Synthetic Meat by mcgrew · 2012-09-25 07:30 · Score: 1
  
  Let's spend that lab money on meat so exotic and tasty it could have only come from a lab.
  
  Tang -- Orange juice
  Margarine -- butter
  Miracle Whip -- mayonaise
  Good luck having the artificial taste better than the real thing. The best you'll do is have kids grow up eating the shit and preferring it to real meat; I know a lot of folks who prefer margarine to butter, simply because that's what they grew up with (explains why they think McDonald's tastes good, too).
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
3. Re:Synthetic Meat by CastrTroy · 2012-09-25 07:57 · Score: 1
  
  It seems the less natural meat becomes the more tasteless it becomes. Meat from a wild deer tastes amazing. Meat from a free range elk tastes pretty good too (there's an elk farm near my house, see the elk grazing in the fields on bike rides in the country). Beef from the supermarket that usually originates from corn fed cattle that isn't allowed to graze doesn't even compare to something that has actually had the ability to graze on grass, and wander in the field. It would be quite a feat if they could get laboratory meat that tastes better than hunted animals. However, most attempts I've seen at laboratory meat don't seem to have any fat, which apart from being part of a healthy diet, also adds significantly to the taste. The varied diet of grazing animals is part of what makes it taste so good. Same goes for things like cheese, which tastes much better when made from cows/sheep/goats which eat grass and spend time in the pasture.
  
  --
  
  Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
4. Re:Synthetic Meat by JStyle · 2012-09-26 03:18 · Score: 1
  
  That's the thing though, those examples were intended to taste like a natural substance (and missed the mark completely). The lab meat wouldn't replicate any existing available meat. I do like the idea of extinct species meat becoming available.
What's the point? by twotacocombo · 2012-09-25 05:16 · Score: 1

We're still going to eat beef. We're still going to slaughter the cows. If we create synthetic leather, do they suggest we just throw the real stuff away? I doubt cattle are killed strictly for their skin and all the meat is discarded, so synthetic parts don't really save them from getting the axe anyway.
1. Re:What's the point? by Urza9814 · 2012-09-25 07:18 · Score: 1
  
  Real leather will get sold cheaper to people who don't care; beef will get slightly more expensive.
This is great news indeed by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 05:19 · Score: 1

Finally, an alternative to the hide of the rare* Nauga!
* When's the last time you saw a live Nauga in the wild?
What does a bioreactor grow leather from? by nbauman · 2012-09-25 05:28 · Score: 1

Tissue-culture bioreactors, as far as I know, usually grow tissue on fetal calf serum, which come from slaughtered cattle. (Sometimes they use mice, fertilized chicken eggs, etc.)
So you have to slaughter even more cattle to create leather in bioreactors.
Right?
Another step towards by geekoid · 2012-09-25 05:29 · Score: 1

vat grown steaks. I/ for one, can not wait for that day.

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Pleather Leather by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 05:29 · Score: 0

So Pleather (plastic leather) will be replaced by Leather (lab grown leather)
Educating a self-deceiving non-vegetarian ex by handy_vandal · 2012-09-25 05:30 · Score: 1

Had to break the news to her that she was in fact not a vegetarian.
I assume that you did not literally have to break the news.
Rather, you wanted to break the news -- doing so felt good.
Oh yes, I have done the same, and I know that feeling well. There is something wonderfully gratifying, when calling a hypocrite on their hypocrisy, when the hypocrite in question is an ex-wife or -girlfriend. Sweet revenge! Finally!

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-kgj
1. Re:Educating a self-deceiving non-vegetarian ex by Tarlus · 2012-09-26 10:38 · Score: 1
  
  Well, I had to when she started having moral qualms about the fact that I hunt. I let her ride her high horse till then. =)
  
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  /* No Comment */
Waste not by handy_vandal · 2012-09-25 05:32 · Score: 1

The cattle industry will never throw away animal hides, or any other part of the animal. It all goes into some industrial process, every last scrap.

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-kgj
1. Re:Waste not by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2012-09-25 06:01 · Score: 1
  
  The cattle industry will never throw away animal hides, or any other part of the animal. It all goes into some industrial process, every last scrap.
  Given that some current tissue-culture techniques rely on a collagen scaffold to guide the living cells seeded into the structure, it would entirely fail to surprise me if some amount of cow hide ends up being quietly broken down for collagen, which will then be printed into scaffolds on which 'ethical leather' can be grown...
2. Re:Waste not by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 09:07 · Score: 0
  
  that may be good anyway, because every bit of leather, even the worst condition cow, can create leather equivalent to the finest italian leather.
Imaginative cool possibilities by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 05:37 · Score: 0

I really don't care from the not killing the animals perspective. But this field does open up a lot of interesting areas. For example large single pieces of leather, much larger than a cow could provide. Growing a coat that is already in it's final shape. Eventually figuring out how to artificiality grow otter fur.
And Use Tropicana (tm) Orange Juice!! by RobertLTux · 2012-09-25 05:46 · Score: 1

Wanna Know the difference between a bad steak and a good leather shoe??
You might be able to eat THE SHOE

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Emotional Ethics by ZombieBraintrust · 2012-09-25 05:49 · Score: 1

I can't imagine that the people who believe killing animals is unethical will be happy with harvesting skin and muscle from a bioengineered cow monster. Both of these are icky. If your trying to avoid ickyness then this is not the product for you.
1. Re:Emotional Ethics by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 06:22 · Score: 0
  
  I can't imagine that the people who believe killing animals is unethical will be happy with harvesting skin and muscle from a bioengineered cow monster
  Obviously it's just a lump of cells, not a living cow.
2. Re:Emotional Ethics by ZombieBraintrust · 2012-09-25 06:35 · Score: 1
  
  So are eggs and milk, but many vegans won't eat either. Neither of these are as unatural as lab grown meat.
3. Re:Emotional Ethics by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 12:33 · Score: 0
  
  So are eggs and milk, but many vegans won't eat either. Neither of these are as unatural as lab grown meat.
  Yes unnatural.:
  Poor us.:
Potential for use in protective gear? by Burning1 · 2012-09-25 05:51 · Score: 2

As a motorcyclist, I'm really interested in this.
Although amazing progress has been made in synthetics, for heavy duty use (read, racing, trackdays, etc.) leather is still king. We've known for a while that there are benefits to the way cows are cared for. The most protective leather comes from cows that aren't kept in barbed wire fences, and raised above the mosquito lines; there is less damage to the hide that way, making for fewer potential points of failure.
Large sheets of leather are also valuable, as they reduce the number of seams in the leather, and permit them to be moved away from common abrasion zones.
Type of leather is also important to us... Good cow leather is usually at least 1.4mm thick, and a full leather suit can be quite heavy (>10lbs.) Kangaroo leather is desirable for this application, since it's lighter and often stronger than cow leather.
I'll be interested seeing what comes of these materials.
Lab-grown rubber, too? by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · 2012-09-25 06:03 · Score: 1

Lab-grown leather? Good! There are many cow souls in heaven who are offended their skin is used for sexual perversions by other species.
Of course, lab-grown will have a much lower psycho-sexual cachet, so maybe the cow souls will still have to lump it.

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Vegan Black Metal Chef's Outfit by billstewart · 2012-09-25 06:08 · Score: 1

Hardly an innovation - people have been wearing fake leather and fake fur for a long time. (That's not even counting the kinksters wearing latex or vinyl because they like how it feels.)
You've probably seen Vegan Black Metal Chef's rubber outfit that looks a lot like leather-based metal-head outfits. (And if you haven't, you really should.)

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Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
Too late by Teun · 2012-09-25 06:56 · Score: 1

Only yesterday I bought a new (Crumpler) laptop bag where the creator claims it was even made of Holy Cow leather...

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No no no by roc97007 · 2012-09-25 07:00 · Score: 1

Tissue has rights too!

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Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
You seriously doubt? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 07:02 · Score: 0

You have not thought this through.
Humans have produced many other varieties of synthetic products, and the means of mass production has always scaled to make the synthetic cheaper than the real thing.
There are real costs associated with keeping herds of animals alive and healthy enough to produce leather products. Once the technology is mature enough that mass production can undercut those costs, it will absolutely scale. This is *precisely* what humans are good at.
Just watch.
Citation needed by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 07:10 · Score: 0

Where in the world are you getting your information?
Today's factory farms produce significant environmental harm: see?
Current indicators show that the vatgrown meat will be MUCH more environmentally friendly: see?
Weirdos like you who jump to conclusions based on wacked-out philosophies, rather than getting the facts, are a major inhibitor to progress.
1. Re:Citation needed by Garridan · 2012-09-25 07:42 · Score: 2
  
  Your references only discuss carbon emission. In my post, I refer to nasty chemicals that are likely involved in the production of vatmeat. These are different topics. We can reduce our carbon emissions to zero and still destroy the world by inappropriate handling of chemical, biological, and radioactive products.
  
  Please read before jumping to conclusions, and avoid ad hominem* attacks.
  
  Of course factory farms cause environmental harm. Like all other large-scale production, we need to carefully capture and recycle products which are wasted. Personally, I'd love to see ecologically friendly production of healthy, nutritious, tasty vatmeat. However, I have concerns about the ecological impact, and about the safety of these products.
  
  Finally, inhibiting progress can be a good thing. Monsanto GM corn / roundup have been linked to significant increase of cancer in rats. If we'd inhibited Monsanto's progress, we wouldn't be finding this out a full decade after they started selling this for human consumption.
  
  *(oh... this is truly sad: Mozilla's spellchecker wants to correct 'hominem' to 'Eminem'... I like Eminem and all, but what has this world come to?)
Banned Headlines by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 07:19 · Score: 0

Can we ban any headlines containing the following words? Thanks!
Could, Has (in question form), Did (in question form), Were (in question form), May, Maybe, Possibly, Hopefully
false ethics by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 08:23 · Score: 2, Insightful

I am an omnivore, and I maintain that it is no more unethical for me to kill and eat animals than it is for chimps,bear, dogs, racoons, or any other omnivore to kill and eat animals.
Beach leather by macraig · 2012-09-25 08:54 · Score: 1

Can't we just harvest it from the beach addicts and ski bums?
pigcowbear by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 09:17 · Score: 0

We should bioengineer pigs with cow and bear hide so wearers could become man wearing bear pig.
Really? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-25 15:54 · Score: 0

Does anything EVER come to market in five years?
about time by hesaigo999ca · 2012-09-26 05:50 · Score: 1

Yes!, 1 point for the animals